Two years ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. An illness I had only heard of when the “Ice Bucket Challenge” went viral. Her diagnosis changed my life. Knowing what her future would look like as an ALS patient terrified me. My grandmother had always been my inspiration, a strong woman who had built companies without a college degree, a woman who emigrated from Chile to Peru and finally settled in Venezuela. She taught me strength, grace, and entrepreneurship. From the moment she was diagnosed my life wasn’t what it was before, and it continues to change as her illness progresses. During my senior year without hesitation, I dedicated my thesis to her. When I designed my thesis, I was able to convert my negativity into positivity with the incorporation of splattered paint and bright colors. At the time, I hand painted Adidas Stan Smith sneakers as a complement to my thesis collection to tie together my looks. Little did I know that what I had intended to be only a complement to my collection, would later become one of my most sought out pieces. I wore the sneakers countless times, and people on the street would stop to ask where I had got them from. Nothing brought me more joy than knowing that my shoes had sparked the interest of complete strangers. I felt proud every time I would respond “I hand painted them”. Once people started requesting the shoes, I knew that I had the start of a new endeavor. It took me a while to thread all of this into one idea, but one of my new year’s resolutions was to make a difference in the world, no matter how small or large it would be. Due to the high demand of the shoes and my resolution, I decided to honor my grandmother in the best way I knew how to, by helping others. I immediately decided to donate 15% of the profits to the ALS Association. Once I finalized my idea, the painting became second nature and my shoes a staple item.

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